The Orcus' Tale
by PcKtmouse
Summary: When the Legacy comes under attack from an unexpected source Jim finds himself batteling not only with his demons but those of the galley cook as well. Rated for slight language.


Just a fun story to practice writing different characters in a larger story format. I loved writing this one, doing all the research both on the Treasure Planet aspects and whale information. The Orcus in this story are a mixture of several different whales, primarily Orcas, and do not represent the behavior of any specific whale species.

I also want to thank everyone who have reviewed any of my stories; I may not reply to all of them but I read and appreciate every single one. :) Also thanks to everyone who adds/faves/watches me or my stories. Thanks you guys for being so awesome, and I hope you enjoy.

Disney/RLS (c) everything

* * *

><p>The snores of the already slumbering crew greeted Jim as he fell into the rough canvas hammock and toed off his boots, his newly developed muscles relaxing as he went limp and settled into the hold of the fabric. Despite his exhaustion the cabin boy didn't immediately go to sleep; after over a month of toilsome chores his body had become conditioned to the expectations of his slave driver of a boss and Jim was finding himself able to function with less sleep than he would have ever thought possible. He didn't dare let Silver know this however, knowing that the man would congratulate him on his improvement right before assigning him with an even heavier work load. On most nights he spent an hour or so simply thinking in his hammock, or on deck watching the stars and avoiding the cyborg as he conducted his rounds. That was where Jim had been tonight, kneeling on his favorite spot on the bowsprit, oblivious to everything except the sudden sound of Silver's uneven footsteps that had sent the boy flying to the deck to duck behind a mound of rope. Heart pounding, he had decided not to push his luck and had retreated to the billet.<p>

Jim smiled as he thought about the close encounter then reached down and pushed his hand against the floor, making the hammock swing gently. He focused on the soft movement, tuning out the snores of the crew and the disgusting sounds erupting from the flatulent above him, and slowly abandoned himself to sleep.

Something heavy fell on his back, startling Jim out of his glorious rest. "Up and at 'em, Jimbo!"

"Up and at 'em!" Morph chirped. Jim pushed himself up enough to look through the grating in the ceiling. Starlight shone through the open hatch and outlined Silver's grinning face; it couldn't have been two hours since he had fallen asleep! _Mother of God_; Silver _had_ seen him on deck. "I'll never go on the bowsprit again." Jim moaned into his arm. "Just let me sleep."

"I don' know w'at yer grumblin' 'bout but ye can sleep after ye see w'at I got ta show ya." Silver said cheerfully, shaking the boy with disgusting enthusiasm for such an early hour. "On yer feet, lad, or we'll miss 'em." The cyborg stood by and watched impatiently as the boy rolled onto his feet, pulling on his arm as he moved for his boots and commenting that he didn't need them. Jim followed his lumbering form up the short flight of stairs that led to the deck; as he stepped into the open space Silver's mechanical hand grazed his lower back, leading him to the railing.

For several minutes they stood there, staring out into space, Morph bouncing about them happily. Jim was not as pleased. "Why are we here?" He asked, Silver's light humming making his repressed fatigue heavier with each passing moment. "Jus' wait, Jimbo." The cook instructed.

So Jim waited.

And waited.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

This was bullshit.

…

An immense curtain of blue and red engulfed Jim's vision; the boy yelped and jumped back into Silver's outstretched arm. "Hold on t'ere, Jimbo!" He chuckled, bracing the young man. "Take a look." His startled mind still reeling, Jim focused back out to the empty space and -

Jim blinked. The vast etherium was no longer empty; dozens of Orcus Galacticus were falling through the sky, dancing with each other as the clouds melted around their large, striped bodies. The air suddenly reverberated with their calls and Jim felt his body tremble with the sheer power of their voices.

"They're not as big as I remember." He commented as a relatively small orcus swept close to the railing, displaying its cream belly to the small crowd. The creature was so little that it looked as though it could fit easily into one of the longboats. "T'at's cause most of 'em are just babes. We mus' be cuttin' through their birthin' grounds – look!" Jim swiveled and gaped as a colossal Orcus breached above a cloud bank, twisting onto its back and trumpeting. "T'at showoff is a bull; te male of te group."

The boy's cheeks began to ache and Jim realized that he was grinning. "I guess he's the boss, huh?"

"Nah, t'at's left up ta a female, not unlike our dear Captain." Jim managed to turn his laugh into a hacking cough just in case the felinid was near. "But judgin' by te way he's jumpin' and hollerin' he ain't happy ta see us."

The Orcus slapped his massive pectoral fin in confirmation. "Maybe we should tell the Captain…? Silver chuckled at his nervousness. "He's just flexin' his muscles, Jimbo, he ain't nothin' ta worry 'bout. We'll be outta 'ere by tomorrow night in any case."

Another small Orcus swept by the rail, sending Morph into a series of excited trills and Jim's grin widened. "I kinda wish we could stay longer." Silver nodded in agreement before slowly turning away from the grand sight. "Speakin' of tomorrow, t'ere's a list of chores waitin' wit' yer name on 'em. Get ta bed; te Orcus will be waitin' fer ya in ta mornin'." He added, seeing the way Jim's face fell. The young cabin boy offered no resistance as he felt himself nudged toward the sleeping quarters by two broad hands. "An' no more sneakin' out on te bowsprit, eh lad?"

* * *

><p>"Well, Doctor?"<p>

Amelia was standing rigidly next to the multi-paned window staring out at the Orcus pods as Delbert pressed his nose against the glass like an eager child. Mr. Arrow stood, disinterested yet professional, at the center of the stateroom. "Doctor?" The Captain repeated when no answer was provided.

Delbert pulled himself away from the window, grinning, and wiped away the condensation pillowed on the glass. "Well Captain it seems as though we've stumbled upon a collection of Orcus, and a rather copious one at that!"

"Besides the evident, Doctor." Amelia clarified, rubbing her temple with two delicate fingers. "Have we infringed on a mating ground?" The canid shook his head, ears flapping. "No Captain, much more extraordinary than that! Judging from the amount of calves I would say that this is a birthing ground. It's quite astounding, there are less than thirty of these areas documented in the_ entire_ galaxy and we circumstantially stumbled right in the middle of one!"

"Astounding." Arrow echoed dryly, exchanging a glance with the Captain as the man replanted his face against the window. Amelia allowed herself a small smile at the astronomer's enraptured disposition before resuming her stern demeanor. "Based on your knowledge of these mammals do you expect any jeopardous behavior?"

"From these _darlings_?" The Doctor purred adoringly. "Implausible. The mothers obviously don't consider us a threat to their young or they would have attacked us on sight. As long as we continue to drift along inconspicuously we should have no altercations with them."

"Capital." Amelia nodded, moving towards her mahogany desk. "Now that this matter is – ."

"However!" Delbert quickly interjected. "For the sake of caution, the hull should be cleared of any barnacles. The Orcus frequently make a snack of them." The Captain smothered her annoyance and curtly turned towards her first mate. "Mr. Arrow, would you please transfer the Doctor's suggestion to Mr. Silver?" The mountain of a man inclined his head ever so slightly, mumbled a polite assurance, and left through the ornate door. Amelia turned back to Delbert who, to her surprise, was loading instant film into his bulky box camera. "You're not considering trying to document the creatures after your…unfortunate encounter at the commencement of the voyage?" She bit her cheek to stop herself from laughing at the memory.

Delbert, however, seemed unfazed. "A novice error that won't be repeated." He assured her. "Despite my earlier fumbling I really am quite inept, er,_ adept_, at documentation." Suddenly a bright flash bathed the room and Delbert fell backwards into her desk, his wide eyes constricted and blinking humorously. "Se-sensitive." He mumbled, righting himself on unsteady arms. "Very sensitive machine…"

Amelia simply smiled and examined the photo of Delbert's astonished face. "Quite."

* * *

><p>Down in the galley Jim fought back a yawn as he clumsily practiced filleting a plate of large herrings. He was a bit tired from their late night excursion but the boy had not faltered in his task of scrubbing the deck and was now looking forward to helping Silver prepare the crew's lunch down in the galley. However, the heavy footsteps on the stairs, like rocks rolling down a hillside, dashed his feeble hope. "Mr. Silver!" Arrow's thunderous voice vibrated within the hold and Jim was tempted to cover his ears.<p>

"Aye, Mr. Arrow!" Silver greeted in his cheerful drawl. "How can I be helpin' ya, sir? Unless ye came ta give me and Jimbo 'ere wit' te lunch order?" The cyborg chuckled at his little joke but Arrow continued as though he had not spoken at all. "The Legacy has entered the birthing grounds of a pod of Orcus; in order to keep interactions with the creatures as minimal as possible the Captain has ordered the hull scraped – make it a priority." He added with a graveled undertone.

Jim groaned at the memory of his first time clearing the hull, dangling from a flimsy scaffold with Silver barking orders in his ear and his arms aching. As though he could read his thoughts the cyborg glanced over his shoulder at his cabin boy, one eyebrow raised and mouth twisted into a smirk which Jim took as 'That means _you_.' Obviously unhappy but past the point of arguing Jim stood, swiped the crowbar out of Silver's mechanical hand, and followed the broad alien out of the galley.

It took a surprisingly short time to peel the stubborn arthropods from the hull of the Legacy; not only was there a sparse amount of barnacles attached to the ship but Jim's arms were now much stronger. The young man was pleased to find that he could displace twenty of the creatures without having to take a break. As he worked the songs of the Orcus filled his head like a cryptic lullaby and every so often one of the creatures would trail behind the ship and scoop up a floating barnacle.

Jim paused to wipe his moist brow when a sudden blow to his backside threw him into the side of the hull. "What the – " The boy snarled and turned, coming face to face with a baby Orcus.

He stared as the creature drifted casually beside him like they were old friends out on a stroll. The wide, glazed eyes bore into him with a sense of understanding that made the hairs on the back of Jim's neck stand up. "Ughhh…Hey?" He offered. The baby made no reply except to roll over and display its belly to the astounded teen. Hesitantly he stretched out his arm and managed to brush his fingertips against the pale, leathery skin before the whale shrilled and flew past him, knocking his shoulder as it fled. "Woah! Sorry, sorry!" He cried but already the Orcus flew over his head, tickling his hair in apology. "No touching, I get it." Jim pried another barnacle off and waved it teasingly in front of the long face. "You want a bite?"

The baby stared and Jim casually released the barnacle; he watched as the Orcus initially ignored the spiraling shell, then turned and sucked the creature in through a small gap between it's bristles and lower jaw. The whale squirmed uncomfortably and Jim wondered if he had just made a mistake, maybe the baby was too young for such solid food, before the bristles again lifted and the shell re-emerged, sans the tender meat. "Cool." Jim smiled, examining the empty shell. He eyed the last barnacle clutched to the side and didn't hesitate to peel this one also. "Last one. You want the honors?" The boy didn't wait for an answer before tossing the barnacle and grinning as the baby immediately gobbled it.

"Made ya a new friend, Jimbo? Don' even t'ink about keepin' him – ye'll make lil' Morphy jealous." Jim glanced up to see Silver's large face beaming down at him. His laser scanned the hull, briefly hovering over the baby, and ending with a confirming whirl at the stern. "Good job clearin' te hulls, lad. Do me a quick favor an' take te scaffold down a few pegs; jus' down to t'at knothole."

Confused, Jim glanced down and saw said hole some ten feet below him just under the curve of the hull; he carefully began lowering himself as Silver had taught him, the Orcus following carelessly. "Okay Silver!" He hollered up, cupping his hands. "What now?"

The only warning he received was a brief "'Eads up, lad!" before a mass of rope toppled over the edge. The teen ducked under his arms and heard the baby squeal in fright as the tangled clump hurtled towards him, but the only thing Jim felt was a single rope that brushed against his elbow. He glanced back up to see a blanket of woven rope draped over the hull, tied off at the railing in intervals. "Tie t'at end off t'ere an' secure it." Jim obeyed, expertly tying the rope under the combined eyes of Silver and the Orcus. "What about the other end?" Jim called, motioning towards the unsecured side of the rope web, flapping gently with the ethereal winds. Silver waved his hand dismissively and began heaving the scaffold up. "Don' worry about that, Jimbo, we only need ta keep this on so the little buggers don' relatch on ta hull."

"Why couldn't we do that on the first day?" He growled to the baby, who offered a sharp nudge in response. "I don't have anymore food, sorry." The Orcus twirled and flew parallel to the covered hull, searching for more of the tasty barnacles. "Don worry 'bout him." Silver clasped the boy's hand in his own and pulled him effortlessly over the railing and to the secure deck. "He'll toddle off w'en he realizes t'ere's nothin' left, now come get some lunch 'efore we cover te other side."

The rest of the day passed in uneventful ease. Jim and Silver secured the second rope webbing to the remaining side of the hull and by the time the boy finished cleaning the dishes from lunch it was time to prepare for dinner. The Orcus' had been left behind long ago but remembering the songs made the memory of the baby dance around his mind and he couldn't stop engaging the cook about the subject as he unconsciously chopped a head of red cabbage.

"I don't understand how something so small can survive." He admitted, sliding the crinkled leaves into a wooden bowl and waving Morph away as he tried to sneak a bite. Silver chuckled from his spot in front of the stove and threw a teasing glance over his shoulder. "Yer not far off from bein' a runt yerself, lad. 'Sides, t'at's why te male's t'ere, ta chase away trouble makers like us."

Jim nodded, his head bobbing in time with the knife. "How long does he stick around after the babies are born?"

The boy felt guilty as Silver's cheerful demeanor died; a heavy presence pressing itself into the small room and bearing down on them both. Even Morph felt the atmosphere shift and floated silently down to the table. Jim wanted to kick himself; why did he have to ruin the conversation with his daddy drama? "He don't leave." The cyborg clarified.

Jim swiped the last chopped cabbage into the bowl and brought it over to the waiting cook who wore an expression of hesitancy. "You know a lot about them." He nudged Silver's side playfully, hoping to signal the end of his bleak reflection.

Silver's cheer revived in a heartbeat and he grinned down at Jim, pouring the cabbage into a brimming pot. "We had a pod of t'em not far from w'ere I was born. W'en I was a lad me dad used ta take me out an' look at t'em every chance we got. He was a bit of a sucker for 'em." Imagining a miniature version of Silver made a smile creep along Jim's face. "Are they still there?"

The man shrugged, nearly tipping over a pot of stew as he moved it to simmer on the stove. "Dunno. Left home w'en I was a bit younger t'an yerself an' never went back."

Jim stumbled over his own feet and leaned against the galley table; Silver, however acted as though he had just commented on the weather and continued working. "Go get ta bowls ready, will ya lad?" Throughout the rest of the night he went through the cyborg's orders robotically, his mind repeating what Silver had said about leaving his home, and his father, behind forever. Wrapped up in his thoughts he barely noticed when Silver clapped him on the back some hours later. "Ye've been out of it since dinner, Jimbo. W'at's troublin' ya?"

"Nothing." Jim lied, shaking his head. "Nothing I'm just…I guess I'm tired." The cyborg nodded, although the furrow in his brow suggested he was not entirely convinced. "Finish t'ese dishes an' get on ta bed."

"Right." He agreed dismissively, and set down to work.

* * *

><p>Jim knelt on the bowsprit, the winds playing through his hair as the dark cloud that was the memory of his father hovered over him. When he was younger, right after the man left, Jim sometimes imagined that his father had taken one picture of him, a hastily removed reminder from one of their numerous photo-albums. He would envision his father on a far away planet, surrounded by strangers, and that when the man felt tired or lonely he would pull out the carefully preserved trinket, smile, and remember what his son looked like. Now, however, Jim didn't allow himself such fantasies. He hated thinking about the man; hated how he visibly darkened with every mention of him, hated how after seven years he couldn't speak about him or that horrible day, and hated how Silver looked at him with so much pity when he was reminded of Jim's bastard status.<p>

And what about Silver's father? Was he even aware of what his whale watching son had turned into or that his child was even still alive? He felt a surge of rage course through him just imagining the tired old man, sitting by the window and waiting in his confusion and hopelessness for his little boy to return, just like Jim had waited for so many years. Thinking about all of the moments when Silver had flaunted his unattached, stag lifestyle made his choice to leave his loving father even more disgusting in the cabin boy's eyes. If Jim's father had given him a portion of the affection that Silver's father clearly had for the cyborg Jim would have never left his side.

A few of the crew, Bird Brain Mary and Oxy from the looks of their musty silhouettes, entered onto the deck and Jim realized that he had been on the bowsprit for much longer than he had intended. He made his way to the deck and down to the quarters, exhausted of every emotion, and fell asleep to the image of Silver's childless father.

* * *

><p>By the time Jim woke in the morning his mood had greatly improved. Several scenarios of Silver's father had played through his dreams, all of them giving the boy perspectives that he had refused to consider the previous night. Maybe his father was not the dotting man that Jim imagined him to be, maybe the whale watching was Silver's one good memory of a tyrannical man, or maybe he had kicked the teen out and forced him to leave. Despite Jim's anguish and his delinquent behavior Silver had proven in the last few weeks that he was determined to find a glimmer of something respectable hidden within the boy. The least he could do was try and do the same for Silver.<p>

And so when he entered the galley early that morning he didn't bombard the cook with questions about his past or ignore his presence completely as he would have last night. Instead he pushed a smile to his lips, returned Silver's good morning and set to work helping to make breakfast. It didn't take long for Silver's jokes and Morph's pranks to elevate Jim's spirits and the young man pushed back the thoughts of Silver's father onto a dusty shelf in his mind.

The morning passed carelessly, Silver barking out ingredients and Jim and Morph racing to see who could bring back the most to be cooked. When the cyborg called for ginger Jim all but jumped onto the curved counter and opened the cupboard that would seal his victory over the blob.

The walls shrieked, the world lurched and Jim flew off the counter. His knees burned as they slammed against the galley floor, all the contents of the cupboards showering over him. "Silver!" He forced himself up; Morph's shuddering body dove into his pocket with a squeal. "What was – ?" Again the floor swung out from under him with a thunderous groan; a metal vice closed around his arm, jerking Jim to the cook's side. He clutched Silver's round belly as the man gripped the counter, his mismatched eyes as wide and startled as Jim's. "Get on deck, lad." He ordered as soon as the room righted itself. "Hurry!"

Jim didn't need to be told twice. He bolted for the stairs, already aware of the screams of the crew and the howls of the Captain as she fought to be heard above the din. "Secure lifelines immediately! Track his movements Mr. Onus!" Silver ran into his back as Jim stopped dead on the top of the stairs and stared out at the chaos. The Captain, Delbert, and Mr. Arrow stood on the quarterdeck, all of them gripping the railing and Amelia shouting at the top of her voice. The crew was shouting, running, jumping to the deck as though a phantom had been released on them. Onus was panicking up in the crows nest; all of his eyes searching the sky desperately.

"_Mr. Silver! Mr. Hawkins! Cease that useless gaping and secure your lifelines_!"

He didn't understand; they were in danger, but from what? There was no storm, no opposing ship, nothing to cause such blind panic. And yet everyone, including Jim and Silver, tethered themselves to the main mast. He looked around; trying to catch the eye of any crew member and ask what was happening - for a moment he almost shouted out to Scroop - but everyone was running to nowhere.

Jim grasped Silver's arm desperately as the Legacy jumped, the force of the blow coming from_ below_ them. "What's happening, Silver?" Jim gasped and craned his neck to look at the silent cyborg. Silver's long face stared past him with an expression that border lined terror and his grip on the man's arm instinctively tightened. "Hold on ta me, Jimbo." The words trickled down to him a moment before Silver's arms clasped around him; Jim twisted in his grasp just in time to see a monstrous blur barreling down on the insignificant ship and the world erupted in a deafening roar.

* * *

><p>"'Er he comes, Capteen!" Onus' useless warning mixed with Amelia's bellow of "<em>Brace yourselves<em>!" as the Orcus glanced off the Legacy, sending the ship into an frenzy of shrieks and pitching bodies. The Captain's thin knuckles turned white under her gloves as she gripped the railing of the upper deck, even Arrow had temporarily abandoned his monumental stance to support himself next to her. "Remind me Doctor" She snarled to the trembling man beside her. "Just how implausible you considered this situation to be?"

"I – I don't understand!" Delbert's speech was as shaky as his body. "We experienced no animosity through the birthing grounds and we did nothing to provoke them!" His eyes followed the beast as it turned some 300 yards off, preparing for another blitz. "And the males rarely go this far out of their territory; by all logic this bull has no reason to antagonize us!"

Her mind raced like rival stallions as she swept over the deck, the crew stunned into frozen stances, and jumped to the approaching Orcus. "How much solar reserves have we accumulated, Mr. Arrow? And Doctor, this is hardly the time!" Delbert jumped and hastily stuffed his camera back into his maroon overcoat.

"Enough to outrun the brute, Captain." He replied, sensing her motivations. "Should I give the order to Mr. Meltdown?"

"Actually, Captain…" Delbert mumbled, withering under the first mate's glare. "The speed of the Legacy is greatly inferior – "

"At this point, Doctor, we have no other options, _Brace!"_ She yowled. The boat jerked violently, sending its inhabitants tumbling like rag dolls. Amelia immediately straightened and addressed the shell-shocked crew. "All hands secure the sails, quickly before the next blow! Mr. Meltdown, prepare for full speed – _And for the last time Doctor, put that bloody camera away_!"

* * *

><p>Buried against Silver's chest Jim barely heard the Captain's strained orders but the crew instantly jumped into the rigging and soared up towards the sails. "Come on, lad." Silver ordered and both men raced to the bowsprit, the cyborg heading out first to the outermost ropes. Jim followed the cook's example and began retying a nearby knot until a sudden noise stopped him in his tracks. Underneath the shouts of his shipmates and the bellowing of the male Orcus was a soft, almost pleading sound, like a crying child. "Did you hear that?" Jim called, but the cyborg was too absorbed in his work to hear. "You heard it right Morph? Morph?" The young cabin boy thrust his hand into his pocket and a sense of dread washed over him as he felt nothing but cloth. "Morph!"<p>

Silver's voice cut through the air to reach him. "He's hoverin' near te port side, now get t'at line tied down 'fore we get swatted off!" Jim obeyed, securing the lines with as much strength as his arms could muster. The sails spread to their limits, stretched taught and glowing as they caught the precious energy to fuel their getaway. "Done, Silver!"

"On deck wit' ya t'en! I'm righ' behind ya!" Jim shimmied down the bowsprit to the safety of the deck, Silver following closely. "Two hundreed yards!" Onus wailed. The familiar, heavy hand that fell on his shoulder had never felt more comforting. "Go round Morphy up an' get to te main mast." He didn't need to tell Jim to hurry; the boy ran to the port railing and saw the pink blob darting frantically through the air. "Here, Morph!" He whistled in faux cheer and motioned for his friend, but the creature babbled and dove over the railing. "_Morph!_ What are you – " He froze, leaning over the railing, momentarily oblivious to the approaching danger. "Silver! _Silver!_"

The blood pounded in his ears as Onus voice screeched out "fifteey yards!" and Silver pressed against him. "W'at's wrong, Ji…" He fell quiet and followed his cabin boy's gaze down the side of the hull. "I'll be damned." Jim silently agreed.

Tangled in the rope webbing and whining pitifully was the Orcus baby.

For several seconds both men stared in dumb silence as the drama around them continued to unfold. The baby lay in its rope trap, eyes lidded from exhaustion and looking utterly abandoned. "Silver…"

"Brace up!" Silver warned as the Orcus hurtled toward them. For a horrible moment the giant creature seemed to be aiming directly for the calf but then the bull dipped and scraped along the bottom. "Silver – it's his baby!" The man nodded without taking his eyes off the exhausted mammal. "What do we do?"

Before the cyborg could answer Arrow's commanding voice echoed over the ship. "All hands to the deck." He roared. "Prepare for full speed!"

"Come on, Jimbo." Silver whispered. "We'll deal wit' him later."

"No." Jim breathed. "No, we cant…" But the cyborg was walking backwards toward the mast. The sails were glowing with power and Meltdown's fat form broke from the crowd, heading for the engine room. Jim didn't think about what he was doing, didn't think about the circling Orcus or the shouting voices; he untied the lifeline from around his waist and placed one unsteady foot over the railing and onto the scaffold.

His arm screamed in pain as Silver clamped onto him. "W'at in Heaven's name do ya t'ink yer doin'?"

"We have to cut it free!" Jim tugged on the trapped arm but the cyborg's grip only tightened. "Ye aren't goin' down on t'at scaffold, not w'en we're about ta go full speed."

"Silver look at him!" Jim cried desperately, pointing towards the retreating bull. "He's been telling us this whole time what he wants!"

The cook didn't falter. "We'll release the babe w'en were safe – "

"They'll be too far apart; they'll never find each other!"

"I'm not tellin' ya again – !"

"_We can't take away his kid_!"

The words slipped from his mouth before Jim could stop them. Silver stared down at him with a knowing expression that made the boy's heart sour; a father abandoning bachelor who wore his freedom on his sleeve didn't deserve to understand the baby's pain, the Orcus' pain, _Jim's_ pain.

"Ye grip t'at rope so tight I have ta pry yer fingers off, hear me?" Jim nodded and the cyborg's grip tightened for just a moment before releasing him. He swung himself onto the scaffold and Silver backed away as though to stop himself from pulling Jim back over. "Get te bottom line loose, I'll take care of t'ese." He motioned towards the lines tied to the railing.

"Thanks, Silver." The older man's jaw set firmly and he tore his eyes away from Jim. "Stay wit' him, Morphy." Morph trilled and settled himself on Jim's shoulder as the boy quickly began lowering himself. From on deck he heard Silver bellow, "Hold on t'ere, Captain!"

Hand under hand, Jim traveled down towards the knothole, his adrenaline making his mind buzz. His eyes landed on the opposite side of the rope web, still untied and now tangled in the small Orcus' tail, and a stab of guilt shot straight through him as he realized how the baby had become trapped. "I'm sorry." He whispered, face to face with the bright eyes. "I'm really sorry; but I'll get you back to your dad." The baby moaned in understanding and what Jim hoped was forgiveness.

Finally he reached the knothole and with fumbling hands began untying the rope, all too aware of the Orcus drawing nearer and nearer. Morph whined into his ear and crept closer to his neck. "I'm almost done, Morph. Almost…" Above him he heard a stampede of footsteps, Silver's voice drawing nearer, and always the deep groaning of the bull Orcus.

Delbert's voice rang out. "_James_! What are you – "

"I got it Silver!" He cried, voice dripping with relief. "I got it! Cut the tops!"

"Cut these ropes, men!" Amelia ordered. A chorus of "Aye Aye" instantly followed and the crew moved to obey.

"_NO!_" Delbert shouted, dramatically jumping in front of the rope. "The calf is unmanageably tangled in the web; if we detach it from the ship it will remain trapped in the rope and perish!" Horrified, Jim glanced back to the baby and instantly realized that the man was right; there was no way the Orcus would survive wound up in all that rope.

"Our options are exhausted, Doctor, now _cut those lines_!"

No, this wasn't right! He waited desperately for someone to intercede but Scroop and Oxy pushed their way past Delbert while Silver stared on, obviously torn between what to do. As the Manticore's claws lowered over one of the knots Jim sucked in a deep breath, bent his legs and jumped.

"_JIMBO!"_ "_JAMES!" "MR. HAWKINS!"_ His hands clasped onto the webbing, swinging slightly as his legs wound around the tight rope; the baby cried out and struggled in fright. "Leave those ropes!" Amelia barked to the crew. "Mr. Hawkins, get back to the scaffold at once!"

"Two hundreeed yards." Onus cried.

"Morph! Morph, I need your help!" The creature buzzed excitedly and without waiting for instruction morphed into exactly what Jim needed – a delicate knife. He grasped the handle and eagerly began dissecting the web, winding his arms in between the intact threads as he hastily worked.

"One hundreeed yards!"

"Come on, Jimbo!" Silver cried desperately; maybe it was the heat or the adrenaline but the boy thought he heard members of the crew cheer down to him as well. Just when Jim's mind started to believe that he could do this a deep blare erupted from the bull and with a single powerful swing of its massive tail the creature sped toward them with a terrifying speed. "Capteen, 'es closeeng in!"

Morph whimpered and a pair of eyes appeared at the base of the knife handle. "Focus, Morph! We've almost got it!" But Jim knew it was too late; he forced himself to look back and froze – the beast was only thirty meters away. Silver was screaming for him to climb up, Amelia ordering him and the crew to hold on. Jim pressed himself and the liquefied Morph against the hull, trying to melt into the wood, as the Orcus bore down. His reflection glimmered in the round, wild eye and the giant creature wailed and aimed straight for him.

Suddenly the air lit up with a brilliant series of flashes, blinding Jim. The Orcus groaned in pain and turned his head downwards to avoid the glaring light.

"Again Doctor!" Jim shielded his eyes and looked up to the railing as another barrage of flashes detonated. Delbert's box camera was aimed at the Orcus, his finger punching the shutter with a blurring speed and pictures scattering like snow accompanied by Silver's bellow of "Back off him ya overgrown cod!" Another gargled howl and the beast dipped to avoid the glaring pain, trailing low beneath the Legacy.

He had never wanted to hug the Doc so badly. "Come on, Morph!" Jim cried, but his friend had already transformed back into the knife; they attacked the remaining rope with a renewed frenzy, cutting and sawing as fast as possible. The baby cooed and began wiggling, sensing its imminent freedom. "Calm down!" Jim begged and struggled to unwind the trapped dorsal flippers.

Suddenly, as though he had just solved a complex puzzle, everything clicked into place and the rope fell away to reveal a gaping hole. "Go!" Jim coaxed, pulling the opening wide.

"Go! Go!" Morph agreed.

The baby hesitated, eyeing him carefully, and then with a ballerina's grace slid out of the web and into open space. Jim felt the smooth fin brush his shoulder before the baby dropped and twirled below the ship. Against the cheer of the crew he heard the infants whine instantly answered by its parent; the two met beneath the stern, singing and humming with delight, before the bull turned and guided the little one away from the Legacy and back home.

* * *

><p>Jim spent the next hour and a half inside the Captain's stateroom, having been dragged there by Delbert and Amelia as soon as his boots had hit the deck. Delbert went first, admonishing Jim for his lack of judgment (although his intentions were righteous and to be admired), for putting himself in such peril for an animal (even though it was a marvelous specimen, and was it possible to get an accurate description from him later?) and imagining all the horrible things Sarah would do to the canid if she ever found out (which Delbert promised she wouldn't). The Captain went next, reiterating Delbert's points in a much calmer gait but adding that Jim's carelessness in not securing the webbing had placed the entire crew in danger. Listening to her seemed to reenergize the Doctor for he jumped in and began his verbal remand all over again. By the time Mr. Arrow, in a rare display of mercy, suggested that Jim had learned his lesson the boy was emotionally flogged. However, when Amelia ordered him back to the galley Jim was tempted to stay – he would rather be lectured for seven more hours than face whatever punishment Silver had in store for him.<p>

But discipline seemed to be the furthest thing from the cook's mind as Jim crept back into his kitchen. The large man turned at the sound of the boy's footsteps, the corners of his mouth twitching in what Jim assumed was the strain of holding back his scolding words, but then broke out into his customary grin. "Just had ta get a closer look, eh Jimbo?"

'Relieved' did not come close to describing how Jim felt as the cyborg pulled him into a one armed hug, tousling his hair with his mechanical hand. He smothered the knee jerk reflex to push the man away and allowed himself to be held. "So you're not mad?" Jim asked as Silver slowly released him.

"Don' be daft; of course I am. I'm damn near _furious_." The cyborg sighed and rolled his shoulders as he spoke. "But I figure te Captain and Doc did a right enough job of beatin' ya down."

"Beatin' ya down!" Morph chirped.

Jim nodded and sat down at a table, smiling when the man handed him a warm bowl of Herring stew. "Yeah, they pretty much ganged up on me in there. Doc was mad that I put myself in danger, Captain was mad I put everyone else in danger."

"How she figure t'at?" Silver asked, pouring himself a bowl and a small cup for Morph. Jim didn't wait for the pair to be seated before tearing into the soup. "About not securing the webbing." He spoke between bites.

Morph immediately dove into his rationed cup, but Silver hesitated, stroking his fat chin as he looked past the cabin boy. "Well now, ye don' need to be takin' te blame for an old man's mistake. I'll 'ave a talk wit' her – "

"You don't have to do that." Jim interrupted, ignoring the cyborg's patronizing glare. "It wasn't anyone's fault; not even she could have guessed the baby would crawl under there."

"Or t'at his pop would hunt us down." Silver chuckled. "He sure put t'is old tub through a world of pain." He stamped his mechanical stump on the galley floor and resumed eating. "I bet he would have followed us to the edge of the galaxy." Jim whispered dreamily, staring up through the grating high in the ceiling.

Silver didn't miss the envy buried in his voice; he wiped his mouth and followed Jim's gaze upwards. "I don' doubt it, boyo. I never got why me dad liked t'em so much, heh, but after today I've got me a pretty good hunch." The familiar taste of resentment rose in Jim's throat fueled by the vision of the two reunited Orcus', father and child. "You could go back and see him." He suggested lightly, pretending to keep his gaze on the bowl in front of him. "Tell him about everything that happened. I bet he'd get a kick out of it."

The heavy cook nodded and patiently observed his soup-filled spoon. "T'at he would, lad, but it'd be a bit one-sided. W'at's t'at old saying'…'Dead men tell no tales', an' t'ey don' listen to 'em either."

The shelf holding the image of Silver's father shattered, the splinters lodging themselves in his mind. He should have known, should have sensed the familiar pain radiating from the cyborg, and maybe he would have had he just pulled his head out from under his own dark cloud and paid attention. "When do you get over it?" He asked cautiously.

"Ye don', Jimbo, ye just learn ta live wit' it."

Jim absently stirred the thin remains of his soup, both depressed and encouraged by the older man's answer. He wanted to feel nothing when he imagined or talked about his father and the thought of him carrying this burden forever was terrifying. Still, Silver had been carrying the same load for much longer and he had yet to crack under the pressure; it wouldn't be the worst thing in the universe if he turned out a bit like the galley cook, especially if it meant someday being able to talk about his father without flooding the room with a sea of depression. He felt Silver gently nudge him. "By te way, I scooped t'ese up for ya." He pulled a thick stack of Delbert's instant photos from his pocket and with a wink tossed them to Jim. "Figured ya could give 'em to te Doc and get back on his good side."

Jim flipped through the photos, revealing image after image of the charging Orcus. Morph looked at the images over his shoulder, turned an interesting shade of green, and disappeared under Silver's coat with a gulp. "Well, at least Doc got something useful out of this."

"Aye, an' he ain't te only one."

Silver's mouth was twitching again, his good eye shining in a way that usually meant someone had a candy eyeball in their soup. He watched as the man carefully slipped his mechanical hand back into the deep pocket and pulled out a single picture – featuring a startled Jim dangling from the rope webbing. "Not a bad shot, eh Morphy?"

Red-faced, Jim leapt for the photo. "Give me that!" He snarled, but was effortlessly held at bay by Silver's free hand; the mechanical arm stretched out beyond the cyborg's body. "Not a chance." The cook laughed, admiring the photo clasped between two long fingers as Jim struggled to reach. "I'm keepin' it as a souvenir; somethin' ta show off w'en I retell t'is story."

The boy growled, but knew that his persistence was only adding to Silver's amusement. "Whatever, I don't care." He pushed himself away and plucked up their empty bowls, intent on cleaning up and not encouraging anymore teasing. "Don't you have some lunch to make?" He shot at the lounging man.

"Right ya are!" Silver agreed, tucking the embarrassing picture back into the safety of his coat. Jim turned away to hide the small smile on his face, acting disinterested but secretly thrilled that the cook wanted something to remember his cabin boy. The cyborg came up and again pulled Jim close, grinning down at him and visibly fighting back laughter as he spoke. "But first, how do ya feel about goin' down on te scaffold and gettin' t'at other web for me?"


End file.
